First Hummingbird of the season!

Today, I saw my first hummingbird. Not sure about the species but as far as Bellingham goes, this is the first one I have seen this spring... and this must mean it is spring.

I was feeling the pussywillows that have been opening for two weeks now. I really like the fuzzy buds and the fuzzy shells that seemingly fall into my hand. Then I heard a buzz, I looked up, and lo and behold, a green hummingbird. Perhaps an Anna's. Most likely a Rufous. It usually is.

So many small but enjoyable occasions to celebrate at my sit spot. I shared the hummingbird experience that happened on my walk home from my sit spot. Also notable on the walk home was one moment I stopped and waited.  A mentor once mentioned how it is important to stop. Scan 360 degrees from the ground to the sky and see what you see. I did. It got very quiet. The Song Sparrow that had just let me watch it from 15 feet for a couple minutes also stopped its rustling in the underbrush. So did the Western Towhee.

I heard my friend the Woodpecker thumping away somewhere very close to me. Staring into the sun made it difficult, and I couldn't see from where the thunderous drumming was occurring. Then i saw a Bald Eagle high in the sky. Then another came and circled around the other as they kettled upwards and onwards in the mid-day thermals...

When we stand still, we can be witness to multi-layer living, beauty, and play. There is so much amazingness in the world. For one minute I forced myself to stop and stay put, BREAKING MY OWN HABITS, and pushed myself beyond my schedule (and hope to get home to type this up before going away for the weekend.)

From the ground to the shrubs to the trees to the sky. There is so much life and I am responsible to ensure that it goes on, in perpetuity. I have to dedicate part of my schedule to stewarding the world and to enjoying its rich bounty. Not "resources" to use, but as a way to reintegrate myself into the natural fabric that exists.

At my spot: The Pacific Wren got within THREE feet of me and I watched it eating on the moss on a stump. Then it fluttered off. I was so still for those thirty seconds. Then I explored the moss on which it had paused. And I used my hand-lens. There was a small pink arachnid crawling about the underside of the bryophyte. I didn't correctly identify the green plant as a moss or a liverwort, but in hindsight, it seemed very liverworty!

Considering we studied them yesterday in lichens and moss class, I should have known more. But those tiny worlds are hard! I have more work to do in studying them.

The some Stellar's Jays were calling like Robins... Boy, are they good with their voices!

Gotta love when the sun comes out in February. Wishing you a nice President's Day weekend and Happy Spring... It really IS coming soon.

Crisp but sunny afternoon sit

I crept into my Sit Spot from a new angle today. There were many people about so I quickly ducked off the trail and into a swampy watery thicket of thorny brambles. Don't worry, I wasn't too harmed... but I suspect that no one would want to follow me into the forest from the approach I took. Thus, it was perfect.

Upon arriving at my spot I immediately noticed the hair on the ground! It was definitely from a mammal. The questions came at me like a raging river, then some observations:
- What animal?
- How long ago?
- Was this a kill site?
- Did something bed down here and scratch the hair off itself?
- Why is there only white hair?
- What lives around here? Deer, coyote, cougar, bear, mouse, shrew...
- The hair is longer
- Are there any tracks?
- How did this animal approach this spot?
- Did I lead an animal here?
- Did I find an animal's sit spot?!

The quiet in the forest eventually soothed my brain chatter and questioning as I nodded off while leaning against my cedar tree. I found the strength to keep my eyes open for a bit and noticed new destruction at a "floating log." This was a tree that died and became a snag which eventually lost grip with the group and fell. It remains at an angle, however, because a different stump caught it's fall.

I explored the new wood chips and the newly created holes. Was this a bear? More likely to be the Hairy (or Downy) Woodpecker that I have so often seen in this patch of wood. Remember the Northern Flicker that has eluded me? Could be sign from her also. There was some dry material, leading me to believe that it happened very recently... even earlier today. Truth be told, I haven't been to my spot in three whole days, so I can't know exactly when this occurred.

I looked from different angles (using this word a lot in this post) and eventually found the perfect nest. A tucked away nook that is protected and seemingly dry. There was collected moss there and some bark and fine wood chips too. Is this the work of a rodent who nests in the nook or perhaps from one of the birds who frequents the area?

Then looked to another snag, also with recent work done. Tremendous amounts of debris was ripped out of the base on the snag, more than I remember seeing before. And from three different angles. I immediately thought this was the work of a black bear. I found a hole that I attribute to a possible claw. Being that these two sites are only 20 feet from one another was it the same critter? It's warmed up recently... could be a bear... deer hair near here too?

No conclusions for sure, but most likely not a bear. I want to go back to the second snag though and collect some of the very fine wood powder that still remains inside. I think it was dry... maybe it will make for good fire starter.